Liquid Cooling Immersion Cooling - DOBE Computing Data Center Cooling Solutions
Liquid Cooling, Immersion Cooling, Direct-to-Chip Cooling, DTC Cooling High Density Rack, 100kW Rack, 200kW Rack, AI Server Cooling CDU, Coolant Distribution Unit, Cold Plate, Cooling Distribution Single-phase Immersion, Two-phase Immersion, Dielectric Fluid PUE Efficiency, Data Center Cooling Technology, Precision Cooling NVIDIA GB200, NVL72, HPC Cooling, AI Data Center Cooling Solutions In-Row CDU, Rack-Mounted CDU, Modular Data Center, Edge Data Center 액침냉각, 쿨링랙, 항온항습랙, 컨테이너 데이터센터, 마이크로 데이터센터
Liquid Cooling (Immersion Cooling)
High-density racks! To handle 100kW+ thermal loads, 'Liquid Cooling' solutions are absolutely essential.
Here are the 3 key technologies and system configurations to address this challenge.
Here are the 3 key technologies and system configurations to address this challenge.
1. Direct-to-Chip (DTC) Cooling
This is currently the most mainstream approach adopted in the high-performance computing (HPC) market, including NVIDIA's latest AI racks (GB200 NVL72: ~120kW consumption).
- How it works: A metal 'Cold Plate' is attached directly on top of heat-generating components (GPU, CPU, memory, etc.). Coolant (water or special fluids) flows through the plate, absorbing and removing heat directly.
- Advantages: Can be implemented while maintaining existing rack form factors; most validated high-density cooling technology.
2. Immersion Cooling
This method 'submerges' entire servers in non-conductive liquid. It offers the best thermal efficiency for handling extremely high densities of 100kW and above.
- How it works: The rack itself becomes a large tank. Servers are completely submerged in special dielectric fluid.
- Single-phase Immersion: Liquid circulates to dissipate heat.
- Two-phase Immersion: Uses latent heat of vaporization as the liquid boils and turns to gas. (Two-phase offers superior cooling efficiency but has fluid management and environmental regulation challenges)
- 100kW Solution: No fans required, achieving excellent power efficiency (PUE) of 1.02~1.05. Can accommodate 100kW and even 200kW+ racks.
- Drawbacks: Maintenance requires wiping off fluid, floor load reinforcement needed, dedicated tanks required.
3. Essential Infrastructure: CDU (Coolant Distribution Unit)
Regardless of which liquid cooling method is used, the CDU is the heart of the system for operating 100kW racks.
- Role: Performs heat exchange between primary cooling water from the facility and secondary coolant circulating inside the rack, while controlling flow rates.
- Configuration: Each high-density rack requires an In-Row CDU (placed between racks) or Rack-Mounted CDU (integrated within the rack), precisely controlling flow rates of hundreds of liters per minute.
📊 Summary & Comparison
| Category | Direct-to-Chip (DTC) | Immersion Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling Capacity | 100kW ~ 120kW per rack (with RDHx) | 200kW+ per rack possible |
| Space Efficiency | Can utilize existing DC infrastructure | Requires dedicated tanks & crane access |
| Primary Applications | Standard for NVIDIA, Intel latest AI chips | Bitcoin mining, ultra-high-density supercomputers |
| Implementation Difficulty | Medium (piping, leak detection needed) | High (building modifications, operational changes) |
🚧 Current Status: Why the Slow Adoption? (Vendor Barriers)
Despite its technical superiority, the immersion cooling market is growing slower than expected due to the massive barrier of hardware vendor warranty policies (especially NVIDIA and major server manufacturers).
🛡️
Warranty Voiding Issue ⚠️ CAUTION
- Currently, most chip manufacturers including NVIDIA consider submerging chips in liquid as 'Modification'.
- High-density racks contain tens of millions of dollars worth of GPUs. The policy that "warranty is void the moment you submerge them" presents unacceptable risk for data center operators.
🧪
Insufficient Chemical Reliability Data ⚠️ CAUTION
- From chip manufacturers' perspective, there is insufficient long-term data (5-10 years) on how immersion fluids may chemically affect chip packaging, PCBs, capacitors, and cable insulation over extended use.
- For vendors, pushing familiar air cooling or DTC (Direct-to-Chip with cold plates) is much safer than taking on unverified risks.